The warm summer sun has sadly dwindled away and school has officially started. With transitioning back to waking up for eight a.m classes and staying up late to study, it can be difficult to remind yourself to keep healthy mentally and physically.

Here are some ways to feel good and stay sane during the year:

Physically

1. Hit the gym

Weights, weights, weights! Lifting heavier weights is great for your body and can help burn more calories.

2. Take long walks

Sometimes you need to take a break from the gym and let your muscles recover. Instead of just laying on the couch with your aching muscles, go on a long walk. Walking is a great active recovery if you're not up for a hard workout.

3. Go hiking

For those who do not enjoy the gym, opt outside and find a trail. Explore, get lost, and take in a beautiful view. Not only do you get to witness the beauty of nature, but you also are making your heart healthy!

4. Eat well

What you eat and how you fuel your body has a huge affect on how you feel and operate throughout the day. I know it's easy to make instant noodles or microwave those frozen dinners, but don't do it! Grab fresh produce from the grocery store and instead of snacking on chips, swap them out for some trail mix. Evaluate how you eat and see if you can make small changes each week to eliminate bad foods and swap them out for a heart healthy snack.

Mentally

1. Keep a planner

It is so important to keep track of all of your assignments and projects that are due. It will make your life so much easier if you can visualize what you need to get done and when.

2. Make time for yourself

It is so easy to get caught up in school work, sports, or other extra curricular activities that might be going on in your life. Make sure you set aside time for yourself to recover from all the mental exhaustion you put yourself through. Set an hour or two aside to maybe read your favorite book or take a nice relaxing bath. Whatever it is, make sure to give yourself a break from school. You deserve it.

3. Make time for your friends

While we forget to make time for ourselves, we sometimes can forget to make time for our friends as well. If you have time, go out to the movies or go to happy hour. Talk about what's going on in each others lives. It takes your mind off the stress of school and also brings you closer to your friends.

4. Don't over commit

We all do it once in a while. Whether its picking up an extra shift at work, meeting up for a group project, tutoring, or helping out a friend with an assignment, we over book ourselves, which can add unnecessary stress. You can't do everything. Sometimes you just have to say no.